The Spot: Fish Out of Water
A sustainable sushi restaurant crafts a sweeping meditation in miniature on the tragedy of today's fishing practices
IDEA: After hearing Kristofor Lofgren speak on a panel about sustainability, Joe Sabia wanted to help him tell his story. Lofgren, 26, is the founder of Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Ore., the world's first certified sustainable sushi restaurant. Sabia, a digital artist and filmmaker, proposed making a short film for Bamboo that would be much broader than a simple ad—it would be an expansive visual journey telling the story of today's global fishing practices and why they need to change. "I explicitly said this should not be a story about Bamboo Sushi. This should be a story from Bamboo Sushi—the story of how we currently get our fish; the story of how we should be getting our fish," Sabia said. The finished piece, "The Story of Sushi," all shot with miniature models, is an exquisite four-minute meditation—both dire warning and call to action—on a tragedy that might yet be redeemed.
